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RELEASE: Andy Warhol @ Christie’s For Members Only: Eyes on the Guise

SPECIAL TWO-WEEK ONLINE-ONLY SALE
TO BENEFIT THE ANDY WARHOL FOUNDATION FOR THE VISUAL ARTS
WILL CELEBRATE ANDY’S INTIMATE WORLD

"It's hard work to look like the complete opposite of what nature made you and then to be an imitation... of what was only a fantasy... in the first place."

— Andy Warhol

New York/London/Paris/Hong Kong – Christie’s is pleased to announce the next global online-only auction in its popular series of sales devoted to original works by the legendary pop artist Andy Warhol. Sourced directly from the collection of the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, the Junesale of Andy Warhol @ Christie’s will focus on artworks that offer insight into Warhol’s most exclusive and intimate world. This curated sale, entitled For Members Only: Eyes on the Guise, features over 200 photographs, prints and drawings in which the artist focused his unique gaze on the male nude, following the same artistic path of discovery as his predecessors throughout art history. For two weeks, from Thursday, June 13th through Thursday, June 27th, collectors around the world will have the opportunity to bid online to acquire these exceptional and sometimes intimate works, the majority of which have never been seen in public. With opening bids starting as low as $800, it is possible for collectors and Warhol enthusiasts at all levels to participate.

The launch of For Members Only: Eyes on the Guise coincides with International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Month. In homage to the Pride movement, of which Warhol was an early and active supporter, Christie’s has organized a special, one-day-only exhibition of highlights from the curated sale, to be held at the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center in Manhattan on Tuesday, June 11th from 9am to 10pm. The event will be free and open to the public.

“In 1984, Andy participated in New York’s Gay Day parade (as they called it then). He took photos, and the pride they displayed then is the pride which we feel today,” noted Joel Wachs, President of the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts.

Throughout his career, Warhol depicted male nudes through photography or drawing, often using gay underground culture as his backdrop. His visual explorations of the complexity of sexuality and desire chronicle the momentous changes within the gay community in the late 20th century, when many young men were flocking to urban centers such as New York, San Francisco, and New Orleans from their suburban and rural hometowns. With the anonymity of the city came the opportunity for a subculture that was both self-sustaining and self-defining. Warhol himself moved from Pittsburgh to New York in the summer of 1949, and witnessed first-hand both the blossoming of the gay community in the 1970s and the beginnings of the AIDS epidemic that battered the community in the 1980s.

Marc Porter, Chairman of Christie’s Americas, commented, “As we continue to explore the vast scope of Andy’s works, the daring and innovative spirit of his artwork is revealed to us again and again. Art often pushes boundaries, and this selection of images and drawings demonstrates Warhol’s fearlessness in both exploring and celebrating a gay identity that was emerging in late 20th century New York. Much in the way that his “Electric Chair” and “Car Crash” series challenge and provoke the viewer, the original works presented here – many for the first time – will help to expand our collective understanding of Warhol as one of the most socially significant artists and observers of our time.”

Since 2012, Christie’s has been offering time-based on-line only auctions of fine art, jewelry, fashion, decorative arts, photographs, and memorabilia. All property auctioned on-line is treated with the same high-touch dedicated cataloguing, inspection, and review as any property offered by Christie's. Many of these on-line auctions have attracted visitors from over 100 countries. The online auctions last up to two weeks with incremental bidding and staggered end times for different lots. Potential winning bidders are shown an estimate of their all-in price that includes buyer's premium, taxes, and shipping costs. Once registered, bidders receive instant updates by email or phone when other bids exceed their own. All payment is by credit card, and bidding registration is open to all clients.

About The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts

The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts was established in 1987. In accordance with Andy Warhol’s will, its mission is the advancement of the visual arts. The primary focus of the Foundation’s grant-making activity has been to support the creation, presentation and documentation of contemporary visual arts, particularly work that is experimental, under-recognized or challenging in nature. The program has been both pro-active in its approach to the field of cultural philanthropy and responsive to the changing needs of artists. A strong commitment to freedom of artistic expression continues to inform the Foundation’s support of organizations that fight censorship, protect artists’ rights and defend their access to evolving technologies in the digital age.

Through cooperative exhibitions, loans and permanent placement of work in museums nationwide, the Foundation has ensured that the many facets of Warhol’s complex oeuvre are both widely accessible and properly cared for. In helping to establish the comprehensive collection and study center of The Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh, the Foundation paved the way for new Warhol scholarship and curatorial innovation. The Foundation’s sustained support and oversight of thoroughly researched, extensively illustrated catalogues raisonnés of Warhol’s entire artistic output continues to expand the possibilities for scholarship about his work.

The Foundation has also used its ownership of the copyrights to Warhol images and trademarks to his name and signature as an opportunity to craft creative and responsible licensing policies that are both friendly to scholars and artists wishing to use Warhol images for educational and creative purposes and profitable to the Foundation when the images are used for commercial purposes. Revenues from licensing agreements add significantly to those earned through the continued sale of work from the Foundation’s art collection, enabling the Foundation to build the endowment from which it makes cash grants to arts organizations around the country. Visit the Foundation’s website at www.warholfoundation.org.

About Christie’s
Christie’s, the world's leading art business, had global auction and private sales in 2014 that totalled £5.1 billion / $8.4 billion, making it the highest annual total in Christie’s history. Christie’s is a name and place that speaks of extraordinary art, unparalleled service and expertise, as well as international glamour. Founded in 1766 by James Christie, Christie's has since conducted the greatest and most celebrated auctions through the centuries providing a popular showcase for the unique and the beautiful. Christie’s offers around 450 auctions annually in over 80 categories, including all areas of fine and decorative arts, jewellery, photographs, collectibles, wine, and more. Prices range from $200 to over $100 million. Christie's also has a long and successful history conducting private sales for its clients in all categories, with emphasis on Post-War & Contemporary, Impressionist & Modern, Old Masters and Jewellery. Private sales totalled £916.1 million ($1.5 billion) in 2014, an increase of 20% on the previous year.

Christie’s has a global presence with 54 offices in 32 countries and 12 salerooms around the world including in London, New York, Paris, Geneva, Milan, Amsterdam, Dubai, 下Zürich, Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Mumbai. More recently, Christie’s has led the market with expanded initiatives in growth markets such as Russia, China, India and the United Arab Emirates, with successful sales and exhibitions in Shanghai, New Delhi, Mumbai and Dubai.

*Estimates do not include buyer’s premium. Sales totals are hammer price plus buyer’s premium and do not reflect costs, financing fees or application of buyer’s or seller’s credits.